Real Madrid and Manchester City square off at the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg on Wednesday night after playing one of the most extraordinary Champions League semi-final first-leg ties in recent memory,
Pep Guardiola’s side prevailed 4-3 at the Etihad last Tuesday, but their hosts are no strangers to stunning European comebacks in the Spanish capital.
Karim Benzema’s confidence — and cheek — to go for a Panenka penalty in the first leg typified the phenomenal season the French forward is currently enjoying for the newly-crowned La Liga champions.
Benzema’s brace either side of Vinicius Junior’s dazzling run and finish has kept the tie alive for a Real side whose defence was also breached at will by City, who struck four times themselves through Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden on the night.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side quickly regrouped to hit Espanyol for four and confirm their status as La Liga champions with four games to spare at the weekend. A domestic and European double would certainly send a reminder to the footballing world of their long-standing continental dominance.
Full back David Alaba is injured but midfielder Casemiro returns, Ancelotti said, adding that his side will go on the attack against City, a system that has delivered 11 goals in their last four Champions League matches.
“If we go back and try to defend with a low block, with 10 men on our box, City will have 99 shots on target. Sometimes you need to take risks and we were very successful this season when risking because we have a lot of quality up front,” Ancelotti told a news conference on Tuesday.
“It will be clash of two very different teams. Two teams with different qualities, collective and individual. But we'll have home advantage and we'll be aggressive as always. We have a quality up front that gives us the luxury to be daring on offence.”
Veteran midfielder Luka Modric, who will be aiming to reach his fifth Champions League final with Real Madrid, echoed his coach's upbeat mood.
“Of course, we are very confident that we can fight back and advance. We are aware that we have not played well in the first leg and even so we scored three goals,” Modric, 36, said.
(Written with agency inputs)